Improvement in leather punches and cutters



H. S. FECKETT.

Leather-Punches and Cutters.

NO.134,794. v Patentdjan.l4,18l73.

UNITED STATES' PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY S. FICKETT, OF YARMOUTH, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT lN LEATHER PUNCHES AND CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,794, dated January 14, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. From-DTT, of Yarmouth, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Leather Punch and Cutter; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is hereby made a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device; Fig. 2 is an end view of same; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cutter-bed.

Same letters show like parts.

My invention "relates to a combination of levers with a rotary head carrying puncher dies or cutters, and movable, adjustable guides, in such a manner that leather may be perforated or cut very easily and quickly with a very small expenditure of force by the operator, the guides so operating that whenperforations areA made they shall always be in the middle of straps or strips of leather of varying widths.

A is the bed plate of my device, which should be of a heavy and strong material and substantially made to resist the strain of the operating parts. b and c are two levers having their fulcrums at e and f, respectively, in the uprights g and h, and the motor-lever b imparts its motion to the lever c through the segment-gears i and j. The rotary cutterhead k is pivoted by the bearing l to the outer arm of the lever c, and turns freely upon said bearing l, being held at any desired point in its circuit by the spring ratchet m or any equivalent device. This cutter-head k may be octagonal, and upon each of its eight faces be perforated to receive a punch-die or cutter 5 or a greater or less number of faces may be made, as desired. These perforations, so made to receive the cutting tools, may be provided with a female thread to hold them, or set-screws may be put into the sides for the same purpose. Upon the side of the lever c opposite to that upon which the cutter-head k is placed the bearing l projects, as shown in Fig. 2, the spiral spring n surrounding the projection of said bearing l, and rmly fastened to it. The other end of said spiral presses agtinst the side of the lever c, but is not fastened to said lever, but revolves freely with thebearing l and presses the cutter-head 7c against the side of the lever c, to whichit is attached. Upon the cutter-bed, Fig. 3, is seen the groove o running parallel to the length of the machine, and of suicient depth to contain the rod p, upon which rod are cnt two threads running opposite to each other, so that when said rod p is turned a nut upon one of those threads shall recede from or approach one upon the other, as said rod maybe turned to the left or right. These nuts are attached to and form a part of the guides q q, and, by means of the above-described reverse threads, approach to or depart from equally a line drawn through the points of conta-ct of the punches or cutters .upon the bed-plate, Fig. 3.

At this point of contact a strip of any soft metal or other proper material should be placed to preserve the cutting-edges of the tools. y

All these herein-described parts may be made of any suitable metal, or for some of them wood may be used, or any other material having the proper amount of strength for the designated purposes. I have considered the propriety of making the end of the lever c which bears the rotary cutter-head k bifurcated and placing said cutter-head k between the two parts thus made, and this may be done in cases where an unusual degree of strength may be required for heavy work. i

The operation of my invention is as follows: When it is desired to perforate a piece of leather or any similar material the rod p is rotated, so that the guides q q shall be at such distance apart as to exactly correspond to the width of the material to be operated upon. Then, as a result of the arrangement previously described, the `descending punch will perforate the material in the middle. Punches, cutters, or dies of any desired form may be used and removed from the cutterhead k and replaced at pleasure. By pressing upon the outer arm of the lever b the force communicated to the lever c through the segment-gear herein described is suicient to punch, shape, or cut the material in a very easy and expeditious manner. By sliding the leather along between the guides q q many holes may be cut in the same piece without removing it from between the guides.

1 am aware that revolving cutter-heads have been long used, and I claim nothing for that lo, spring oz, ratchet m, with the guides q q and except as used with the compound levers and screw-rod p, substantially as :rndfor the purguides q q, es herein described. e poses set forth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to HENRY S. FIOKETT. secure by Letters Patent, is Witnesses:

The combination of the bed A, levers b and JOHN NOYES,

c, segment-gearsz' and j, revolving cutter-head MARY ANN NOYES. 

